The Fête/Life Project / No.06 It's All About Priorities

THE SOLUTION TO A SIMPLE, MEANINGFUL, WELL-DESIGNED LIFE /

THE F Ê T E / LIF E PROJECT

06

NO. IT’S ALL ABOUT PRIORITIES Welcome to the Fête/Life Project – a collection of helpful, useful and practical articles that can be applied to life at any time, but especially now.

Sourced from the many magazines we have released, our message has never been more relevant or needed by our community today… let’s embrace the simple life and treasure what is truly important – human connection, community, self care and pure acts of kindness.

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family / W E L L - B E I N G

STORY / ANNABELLE KERSLAKE

IT’S ALL ABOUT PRIORITIES A few months ago I set out on a mission to somehow get our household diet and nutrition on track. After so many failed attempts trying to do the right thing, all while accommodating fussy eaters, I think I may have just found a way – a simple approach, taking each day as an opportunity to fuel our bodies and minds, with fresh, wholefoods, getting back to basics and my family is feeling all the better for it.

Every year I find myself setting new goals,

I was always so desperately trying to do the

for my health and for that of my family.

right thing , when, in fact, I was constantly

Shying away from fads and crash diets

sending mixed messages – one minute

I have always believed that surely it’s just

saying all the things my daughter wasn’t

common sense and as simple as enjoying

allowed to eat, then being too busy to plan

everything in moderation. However,

my meals and shopping, to be able to offer

somehow, time after time I end up

an abundance of positive alternatives.

confused. I clean out the fridge and restock To then top it off, when I would get busy the pantry only to find myself bombarded

and it all got too hard, I would opt for

by mixed messages and conflicting

take-away which defeated the purpose

opinions. Torn between whether to go low

of all my initial good intentions. I had

sugar, low fat or avoid gluten – the list

unknowingly trapped my family in a

goes on. I lead such a busy life with a full

negative cycle around food and meal times

schedule that I end up totally overwhelmed which made us all feel stressed, deprived and disillusioned, which inevitably leads

and often anxious every time we would

to bad habits and poor health choices

discuss grocery shopping or meal planning.

creeping in to my family’s daily routine.

This was quite an eye opener for me and

IN A NUTSHELL… SIT DOWN AS A FAMILY MAKE TIME TO SIT DOWN TOGETHER AND DISCUSS THE CHANGE. YOU ALL HAVE TO BE ON BOARD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

MENU PLANNING S E L EC T A DAY E AC H WE E K TO S I T T O G E T H E R A N D M A K E A W E E K LY MEAL PL AN, WRITE A SHOPPING LIST AS YOU GO TO HAVE READY AT H A N D. T H I S I S A G R E AT WAY TO MAKE KIDS FEEL IN CONTROL, WHICH WILL HELP THEM TO ACCEPT THE CHANGE. EMPOWER A L L M E M B E R S O F T H E FA M I LY T O HAVE AN INPUT AND CHOOSE FOODS AND MEALS THAT THEY WILL ENJOY.

SHOPPING

I know I am not alone in feeling like this

it was the words of my dear friend and

– just about everyone I speak to is on a

business partner, Jane, that really made

roller-coaster ride somewhere between

the difference in my mindset. I was

the days when you are supermum drinking

off-loading to her my frustrations at being

green smoothies for breakfast to the guilt

too busy to be able to get my head around

-ridden trips with the kids through the

a lifestyle change when she said to me,

WITH BREAKFAST PL ANNED OUT,

drive-through when you are at your wits’

“It’s all about priorities – how can feeding

IT’S MUCH EASIER TO AVOID

end! You could say I was desperate to find a your family nutritional food to make them solution, I was so tired of constantly feeling healthy and happy not be the most stressed about what I was going to feed my

important thing you do in a day?” It hit me

family each day. Not genetically blessed

like a tonne of bricks and at first I felt a

with a naturally-speedy metabolism, it has

little judged… I justified my actions with

always been important to me to attempt

every comeback in the book, after all it was

to lead by example for my daughter.

easy for her to be so black and white about

The truth is I felt like I was failing her miserably. I had every good intention, but life just kept getting in the way.

As a family we paid a visit to the nutritionist to try and get some direction.

Once again I walked away feeling overwhelmed and riddled with guilt.

I realised that I had somehow managed to build up a great deal of anxiety in my household around food.

it – she wasn’t trying to feed a fussy

M A K E T I M E F O R A W E E K LY S H O P. WITH LIST IN HAND STOCK UP FOR THE WEEK TO AVOID ANY LAST MINUTE HICCUPS.

DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST

SKIPPING THAT MOST IMPORTANT M E A L O F T H E DAY. (S E E P84 FOR OTHER IDEAS.)

SUPER SNACKS T H E B E S T WAY TO S TAY O N TRACK IS TO ENSURE YOU FEEL SATISFIED AND NOURISHED, EVEN W H E N Y O U W O U L D N O R M A L LY START TO CRAVE TREATS.

seven-year-old with peer pressure in the

GUILT FEEDING

playground to have the coolest lunch box!

AVOID GUILT FEEDING KIDS WITH

I then took a step back and realised that Jane was absolutely right and it takes a true friend who is not emotionally involved to call it. I know she had our well-being at heart when she said that to me and it was exactly what I needed to hear.

UNHEALTHY TREATS AND SNACKS IN SCHOOL LUNCHBOXES AND AT AFTER SCHOOL PICK UP – T H E R E A R E S O M A N Y OT H E R WAY S TO SHOW OUR KIDS WE LOVE THEM AND THEY ARE SPECIAL. STICK AT IT AS THEY WILL RESIST F O R T H E F I R S T F E W DAY S, B U T REMEMBER YOU ARE THE PARENT, TAKE CONTROL OF WHAT IS ON OFFER AND THEIR TASTES AND EXPECTATIONS WILL ADJUST… YOU WILL ALL BE MUCH HAPPIER FOR IT IN THE LONG RUN.

ISSUE NO. 16 / FETEPRESS.COM.AU

33

family / W E L L - B E I N G

So now that I had the kick up the

So with a clear head and list in hand

So while I began this journey focused on

backside that I needed to prioritise

I headed to the supermarket with that

weight gain, I have come through it not

my family’s nutrition, I was on the hunt

message ringing in my ears… fresh,

even thinking about that, which in itself is

for a solution. I knew it had to be simple

wholefoods, no numbers, no chemicals

liberating. Eating whole, nourishing foods

and time effective or it just wouldn’t

and eat organic as much as possible.

has changed our lives

work for me.

It was an approach that I seemed to be

for the better as a family.

I admit that my search for a way to approach a lifestyle change was initially driven by weight gain – or fear of it.

As I began researching different schools of thought it was clear to see that our

able to absorb, so I wandered up and down the shopping aisles and took my time (for the first time in a long time) as I picked up my usual choices and stopped to read ingredients lists.

Since we started I have found it’s not always easy – it doesn’t take much to tip the balance of the constant juggle that is family life, when your wheels fall off and you are back to square one – and I have

nutrition is so much more important than

It was quite a shock – even the seemingly

certainly had some weeks the meals didn’t

just our outward appearances. I stumbled

healthy choices were riddled with

get planned the shop didn’t get done and

across a Facebook site that had a video

ingredients I didn’t understand. I took

we slipped back to bad habits. This has

attached to it, clicked the link and

the simplest approach I could devise…

only made me more determined to make

watched… as the stick figure cartoon

anything on the black list doesn’t make it

this change a life-long change. It does take

people were playing out the message

to the trolley! The result was both alarming time to get a bank of recipes, ideas and

before me, I had a lightbulb moment.

and surprising. I had stocked my trolley

nourishing alternatives to fall back on

The delivery was ridiculous but the

with fresh fruit and vegetables, organic

when you are busy, but with time and

message was important and life-changing.

meats, raw nuts, coconut oil and not a

persistence it does get easier. I am no

The simple message was ‘avoid chemicals’!

great deal else. When you really analyse

expert when it comes to food and nutrition,

If there is anything on the ingredients list

what is in the foods we eat every day it

but I love my family more than anything in

you don’t understand or can’t identify,

is alarming. Determined to stay positive

the world and I now know it is a matter of

don’t touch it! It made sense to me that

I went through the checkout with the

priorities and nourishing ourselves and our

pumping chemicals into your body could

healthiest looking trolley you have ever

loved ones to be physically and mentally

only be doing harm and worse yet I was

seen, feeling quite proud of it as I paraded

healthy, strong and happy is now at the top

horrified that I had been unknowingly

through the checkout and glanced over at

of my list.

doing this to my daughter as well.

others’ with a judgmental look! I realised

That afternoon we sat down as a family and worked on a meal plan for the week,

it felt good to be doing the best I could for my family.

we discussed the options, what everyone’s

After a week of our change in eating habits

favourites were, checked their nutritional

the results were astounding – I had lost

value and decided on alternatives if they

three kilograms, my husband was climbing

didn’t meet the mark. We then all agreed

the walls kicking his sugar addiction and

that we were happy with the choices for

my daughter was a completely different

the week and would give it a go. The meal

child – her whole life she has suffered from

planning was suggested by the nutritionist

anxiety and after the change in diet she

we went to see and this was great advice.

was calm, relaxed and there was a huge improvement in her ability to concentrate and apply herself at school. It was literally a miracle transformation right in front of my eyes. I couldn’t believe the difference it made to her.

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FETEPRESS.COM.AU / ISSUE NO. 16

[ KICKSTART SPINACH OMELETTE INGREDIENTS / RECIPE ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE ]

[ GREEN APPLE STICKS WITH ALMOND BUTTER ]

01 /

02 / 04 /

SUPER SNACKS /

Have morsels at the ready for moments

of weakness and confusion – a piece of fresh fruit or berries and a small handful of raw, organic nuts is perfect when you don’t have time to think. Another easy option is carrot or apple sticks served with a couple of tablespoons of organic nut butter… it’s the best! A green smoothie with lots of fresh green fruits and veggies, mint and ice is really filling and is the perfect way to avoid wasting greens in the fridge.

03 /

[ RAW MACADAMIAS, PECANS, ALMONDS AND WALNUTS ]

[ GREEN SMOOTHIE ]

family / W E L L - B E I N G

KICKSTART SPINACH OMELET TE / INGREDIENTS

METHOD

2 TEASPOONS / 10ML OF UNREFINED,

Dice tomatoes and set aside.

ORGANIC COCONUT OIL 2 / 100G ORGANIC EGGS 1 CUP / 30G OF FRESH SPINACH 1 CUP / 150G OF FRESH TOMATOES SEA SALT, TO TASTE BL ACK PEPPER, TO TASTE SERVES 1

Sauté the spinach until wilted. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs then pour over the spinach ensuring the base of the frypan is evenly covered.

Cook on medium heat until the egg starts to cook through, flip and lightly brown the other side.

KILOJOULES PER SERVE / 1020KJ

Serve with diced fresh tomatoes and season with sea salt

T OTA L F AT P E R S E R V E / 18.4 G

and freshly crack black pepper if desired.

SODIUM PER SERVE / 156MG CARBOHYDRATES PER SERVE / 3.8G PROTEIN PER SERVE / 14.2G

T H I S PAG E

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In a small frypan, over medium heat, heat the coconut oil.

FETEPRESS.COM.AU / ISSUE NO. 16